Pictou County man jailed for assaulting ex-girlfriend’s boyfriend

EVA HOARE STAFF REPORTERPublished June 24, 2014 - 8:06pm

He viciously assaulted his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend and later said on social media that the victim “deserved it.”

Now Christian Douglas Avery has been sentenced to two years plus a day in prison and is banned from possession of prohibited or restricted firearms for life. The 20-year-old Pictou County man was also ordered not to possess standard firearms for 12 years plus a day.

Judge Del W. Atwood of Pictou provincial court handed Avery the sentence last Thursday in connection with the November 2013 assault of Joshua Alexander Watt.

In his written decision released Tuesday, Atwood appeared particularly concerned about the social media posts Avery made this spring.

“One must question Mr. Avery’s commitment to rehabilitation and anger management given the social-networking post published by Mr. Avery shortly after the court adjourned 20 May 2014,” Atwood wrote.

As a condition of release prior to his sentencing on the charge of assault causing bodily harm, Avery was ordered confined to his home for 61/2 months.

His social media post complained about the length of the house arrest, which he got wrong, as well as his legal fate.

“It should just have dropped considering I will already have done about eight months’ house arrest. Two nights in Burnside and wrongfully accused of assaulting a girl and breaking into a house. All for beating someone up who a majority would say deserved it just in my opinion,” Avery posted.

“This, in my view, displays a singular lack of empathy and a certain lack of reality,” said Atwood.

“Furthermore, making public such a comment — ‘all for beating someone up who a majority would say deserved it’ — causes me to draw the inference that Mr. Avery continues to pose a threat to Mr. Watt, if not of actual physical harm, then of psychological harm, as comments of this nature constitute cyberbullying.”

Watt was in bed when Avery arrived at his ex-girlfriend Jessi Firth’s house, and was “the victim of a vicious and unprovoked assault carried out by Mr. Avery that resulted in serious injury,” the judge said.

Watt suffered a badly broken leg in the attack and has had to have surgery, a justice official said.

The judge also noted there was “widespread blood spatter” at the scene. “The court is satisfied that Mr. Watt suffered significant, profound and long-lasting injuries,” said Atwood.

Break and enter and common assault charges against Avery were previously dropped, although the judge said the facts of the case “resemble very closely a home invasion break and enter.”

“It was clear to the court that Mr. Avery arrived at (Firth’s home) intending to deal rough justice to Mr. Watt.”

He also said Firth should be able to live freely and associate with “whomever she wished.”